


Shake It Off

by whumphoarder



Series: Tumblr Prompts [12]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Broken Bones, Drabble, Gen, Guilt, Hospitals, Humor, Injury, Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, super strength is a curse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:22:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24067291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whumphoarder/pseuds/whumphoarder
Summary: Super strength isn't all it's cracked up to be.Poor Ned.
Relationships: Ned Leeds & Peter Parker
Series: Tumblr Prompts [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1281074
Comments: 53
Kudos: 245





	Shake It Off

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Areias](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Areias/gifts).



> Thanks to [sallyidss](https://sallyidss.tumblr.com/) for beta-reading <3

Peter and Ned first came up with their elaborate best friend handshake during a sixth grade class field trip to Six Flags. It seemed like a good way to pass the time in the sweltering June heat as they inched their way closer to the theme park’s newest attraction: the Drop of Doom. Over the course of two hours, the boys tried out countless combinations of fist bumps, elbow taps, hand slaps, and ridiculous gestures before eventually settling on their nine iconic steps, which they continued to practice on and off for the next several hours and most of the bus ride home.

That’s when the algebra teacher told them to knock it off on the basis that the school explicitly prohibited students from flashing any form of gang signs.

(Luckily, the guy retired a few months later.)

As middle school turned to high school, Peter and Ned practiced their handshake until it became muscle memory. They could do it backwards and forwards and blindfolded. It was easy. Familiar. Mindless.

Maybe a bit too mindless.

“Okay, uh, the lady at the front desk gave me this,” Peter says, handing his friend the ice pack he just got from the triage nurse. “And there’s some forms you gotta fill out, but they can wait until your mom gets here because we’ll need her insurance cards and all that…” He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, rubbing a hand awkwardly at the back of his neck. “And, uh, I just wanted to say one more time that I’m really, really sorry, man,” he finishes with a wince.

“Are you kidding me?” Ned gushes. He takes the ice pack to press to his bruised and rapidly-swelling right hand. “This is the most awesome thing to ever happen to me! I just got my hand crushed by a _superher—”_

“Dude!” Peter hisses sharply under his breath. “You mean”—he glances quickly around the ER waiting area, taking in the odd looks from the surrounding patients—“that you got it crushed in a _car door,_ right?” He fixes Ned with an intent look.

“Right! Right of course,” Ned agrees, bobbing his head up and down. “Car door. Crushed my hand. Tragic.” He’s clearly fighting to keep the grin from spreading across his face, and doing a terrible job of it. “Guess I’m gonna miss my piano recital this weekend.”

Peter’s heart sinks. “Oh crap, that’s right,” he moans, slumping down into the seat. “Weren’t your grandparents coming to see it and everything?”

“Yeah, but it’s no big deal,” Ned says, waving his good hand dismissively. “They had a bunch of airline miles saved up. And they weren’t just coming for that, they were also gonna see my bowling tourna— oh…” he says, realization seeming to dawn. “Hm. Well, maybe I can bowl lefty?”

Peter just covers his face in his hands, guilt pooling in his gut. It’s been months since he’s had an incident involving his powers like this. Usually, he can control his super strength—it just takes a bit of focus. Which is something he definitely wasn’t using in his rash of excitement at the text he got earlier, leading right into that fateful handshake. “I’m such an idiot…” he sighs.

Ned laughs a bit, adjusting the ice pack on his broken hand. “Nah, it’s okay. I get it.” He lowers his voice to a whisper, “I mean, it’s not everyday that _Captain America_ invites you over for pizza.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come and hang out on tumblr if you'd like! My url is [whumphoarder](https://whumphoarder.tumblr.com/)


End file.
